GO THE MIGHTY EELS !!!!!!!!!!

Eels too slippery for Storm - NRL Premiership - Fox Sports

Parramatta beat Melbourne Storm 24-10 at Parramatta Stadium

June 04, 2010

Parramatta superstar Jarryd Hayne is in danger of missing State of Origin II after being put on report for head butting in the Eels' 24-10 win over Melbourne Storm.

In an absorbing first meeting between the two sides since the grand final that never was - with Melbourne stripped of their 2009 premiership for repeated salary cap breaches - emotions which had been kept mostly in check for most of the night exploded midway through the second half.

Hayne found himself in hot water after tangling with opposite Billy Slater, referee Tony Archer leaving the NSW Origin winger in little doubt as to how costly his 62nd minute blow to the head of his Australia teammate could become.

"There's a lot to lose with the weeks leading up," Archer told Hayne during his caution, no doubt alluding to upcoming Origin matches.

Hayne could find himself joined on the Origin sidelines by Slater as well, the Storm fullback sin-binned after retaliating with what appeared to be an elbow to the head of Hayne four minutes later.

The incident wasn't put on report but will surely come under the watchful eye of the match review committee, Slater binned along with Eels halfback Daniel Mortimer after the incident sparked a brawl.

Until the late ferocity, what was supposed to be a night of revenge for the Eels and their fans had been somewhat of an anti climax, with the 7572 fans on attendance one of the lowest gatherings for an NRL match this season.

Though low in number they were boisterous, and they certainly found their voice when the players lost their tempers with coach Craig Bellamy copping an awful hammering from the faithful.

The Storm jumped out to a 6-0 lead when Slater pounced on a Cooper Cronk grubber after seven minutes, but it was all the Eels from then on.

Joel Reddy scored one try and set up another for Krisnan Inu to put the Eels up at the break, Reddy completing his double just before the hour mark to put the home side 16-6 ahead.

A Luke Burt penalty goal after Storm prop Brett White was put on report for taking out Fuifui Moimoi off the ball extending the margin to two converted tries before Kris Keating and Greg Inglis scored amid the mayhem late in the game.

Asked after the game whether he hoped Hayne would be cleared to play for NSW, Slater said:

"I don't really care mate.

"It's not up to me, there's people put in place to adjudicate on those things ... I'm not going to try and persuade people one way or the other.

"Those things happen in a game of footy and you deal with them and you get on with them."

His Storm teammate Brett Finch was in little doubt as to Hayne's guilt.

"The action was there ... the replay didn't look good but I know Haynesy pretty well, that's not his go," Finch said.

Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson was delighted with the win after the Eels had been held scoreless in their last two hours of football.

He praised his side for their rugged approach to the game, but didn't think Hayne would be in any trouble for the hit, despite the lingering effect of carry-over points from a striking incident in last year's finals series.

"I don't think they were out of control, a little tasty, it's a combative sport and that's sometimes how it goes," Anderson said.

"I don't think there was too much in anything.

"There was a stack of incidents out there that can be reviewed and scrutinised but in the end I don't think anyone's in serious pain - there's not much to it."